Bombardier Aerospace on February 9th identified China Express Airlines as the undisclosed Chinese customer in the previously announced CRJ900 NextGen transaction of October 26, 2011. The conditional order for six (6) CRJ900 NextGen aircraft and options on an additional five (5) CRJ900 NextGen aircraft will build upon China Express’ existing fleet of CRJ200 aircraft, serving to further enhance the airline’s regional network.

The disclosure was one of several announcements made at the Canada China Business Forum held today in Beijing, with Stephen Harper, Canadian Prime Minister, and Pierre Beaudoin, President and Chief Executive Officer, Bombardier Inc., in attendance.

As previously announced by Bombardier, based on list price, a firm order for the six CRJ900 NextGen aircraft would be valued at approximately $264 million US. Should all five options be converted to firm orders, the value of the contract would increase to $491 million US.

“Our 50-seat Bombardier CRJ200 regional jets have served us very well since we started operations in 2006, and we are confident that the CRJ900 NextGen aircraft, which offers excellent economics, will support the growing capacity demand on our larger routes,” said Hu Xiaojun, Chairman, China Express.

“As the only aircraft manufacturer with three distinct and optimized families of aircraft in the 60- to 149-seat market segment, Bombardier is well positioned to support the growth of China’s air transport network, and we are delighted that China Express has selected the CRJ900 NextGen aircraft for its operations,” said Andy Solem, Vice President, Sales, China and North Asia, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. “The CRJ Series aircraft is the best-selling regional aircraft program in history, and we look forward to welcoming many more operators in China.”

China Express, which is China’s first private regional airline, is based in Guiyang, Guizhou and currently provides regional passenger services with its fleet of five (5) Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft.

More than 80 Bombardier-produced aircraft, including CRJ Series and Q-Series commercial aircraft, as well as Learjet, Challenger and Global business jets, are currently operating in China.

Bombardier predicts that over the next 20 years, China’s fleet of commercial aircraft will grow as it becomes the world’s second largest market for new aircraft deliveries, following closely behind the United States. Bombardier forecasts a demand for almost 2,400 commercial aircraft in the 60- to 149-seat segment in China and is working closely with local airlines, suppliers and stakeholders to assist in fleet and infrastructure expansion.

CRJ900 NextGen aircraft

Like other members of the CRJ Series family of aircraft, the light weight and advanced aerodynamics of the CRJ900 NextGen regional jet combine to deliver improved efficiency and reduced operating costs compared to other aircraft in its class. The combination of a larger winglet and other optimizations since the launch of the CRJ900 aircraft, give the CRJ900 NextGen regional jet excellent airfield and en-route fuel consumption. All CRJ NextGen aircraft feature new interiors with larger overhead luggage bins, larger windows, improved lighting and redesigned ceiling panels and sidewalls.

Worldwide, CRJ Series aircraft are in service with more than 60 airlines and have logged more than 31 million flight hours and 26 million take-off and landing cycles. In addition to airline operations, more than 30 customers operate corporate variants of CRJ Series aircraft.

Bombardier has recorded firm orders for 1,709 CRJ Series aircraft (including 266 CRJ900 and CRJ900 NextGen aircraft), with 1,661 CRJ Series aircraft (including 256 CRJ900 and CRJ900 NextGen aircraft) delivered as of December 31, 2011.

About Bombardier Commercial AircraftBombardier Commercial Aircraft, a business unit of Bombardier Inc., is a world leader in the design and production of aircraft that seat up to 145 passengers. Its mission is to provide a complete range of commercial aircraft optimized for best-in-class efficiency with the highest level of customer service. The product portfolio is comprised of the Q400 NextGen airliner, the CRJ NextGen family of regional jets, and the CSeries jetliners which are the world’s newest and most advanced single-aisle, mainline aircraft for the 100- to 149-seat market segment.

About BombardierA world-leading manufacturer of innovative transportation solutions, from commercial aircraft and business jets to rail transportation equipment, systems and services, Bombardier Inc. is a global corporation headquartered in Canada. Its revenues for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2011, were $17.9 billion, and its shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). Bombardier is listed as an index component to the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America indexes. News and information are available at www.bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier.